Last day for you to vote for the Taj

Millions across the globe are expected to have voted till date to select the new seven wonders, reports Jatin Gandhi.

Minutes before the sun rises on the Taj Mahal on Saturday, global voting to select the seven new wonders of the world will end. The fate of the Taj Mahal will then lie hidden for 24 hours after that.

As voting enters its last day on Friday, here is some good news for those who want the Taj on the list: the percentage of votes cast by Indians has gradually climbed from just 0.8 per cent on May 23 to 13 per cent as on Thursday. Its present standing in the race is, however, unknown.

Organisers of the ‘Vote for Taj’ campaign say the increase in percentage of voters is a good sign but "much will depend on how people from other countries have voted".

"We are hoping foreigners have also voted for the Taj. With no ratings available now, we don’t know how the Taj is faring. Another aspect in favour of the Taj is that multiple voting is allowed," says Bharat Kapadia, executive director of I Media Corporation Limited, the company running the campaign.

On 7/7/7, the world will get its new seven wonders. Millions across the globe are expected to have voted online or on phone till July 6 to select them from a list of 21. The campaign to replace the old wonders of the world — of which only the pyramids of Egypt remain — is being run by a privately funded organisation from Zurich in Switzerland, the New7Wonders Foundation (N7W).

The foundation announced a list of the top 10 contenders on June 7 with the rider that the list would continue to fluctuate till the last day of voting and no more rankings would be announced till then. The Taj features in this list.

"The announcement ceremony will be held in Lisbon on Saturday evening. Due to the time difference, we will only get to know early on Sunday. The list will be in alphabetical order, so even if the Taj is on it, we will be the last to know," says Kapadia.